


Contemplations In D Major

by CariadWinter



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 22:13:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CariadWinter/pseuds/CariadWinter





	Contemplations In D Major

There was rain tapping against the windows and roof. It kept a steady beat to go along with the static rhythm of the old Blues LP playing in the living room. The record player had belonged to his father as had the records. His dad had always told him that there’d never be anything like vinyl. It was easy and effortless. You could hear the soul of music. 

Steve had acquired his father’s love of classic music, jazz, and especially the blues. He’d been your regular jock boy in school; football, surfing, fast cars, cheerleaders… but his passion, his pride and joy, that had been sitting down with his electric guitar and spilling his heart out in the music. He didn’t do good with _feelings_. They were there; he had them, but forget translating them into words. He was a man. Men didn’t hug or hold hands or talk about their feelings. 

When he’d joined the Navy right out of high school, that had been the end of his guitar playing. There’d been no place for it in basic and then, well, his life had been swept away. Steve had become a Navy man through and through. He’d excelled at it. He’d climbed the ranks, busted his ass getting into the Seals and then… then had come Victor Hesse. Victor Hesse had brought Steve’s perfect world crashing down around him. Everything was upended and Steve had been caught in the riptide. Burying his father had been the worst moment of his life. They’d grown apart over the years, hell he’d grown so far apart from his family it was almost as if he hadn’t had one in the first place, but at the end of the day, he’d still been dad.

His father’s last words to him rolled around and around in his head and Steve just shut his eyes, let the rain pour in, and picked along with music. He’d found his old guitar right where he’d left it, tucked safely under his bed in his old room. He’d dusted off the case, replaced the strings, tuned it and cursed his rusty fingers at first. Still, it had felt like welcoming home an old friend. He’d reacquainted himself without the aide of music at first then he’d drug out his father’s old record player and tucked in. 

Steve’s father’s voice gave way to Victor Hesse and everything that bastard had put him through. He played it all out, start to finish, and the anger washed through him. Steve made the guitar sing and howl. By the time the “Thrill Was Gone” Steve’s mind had moved on to his new life in Honolulu, his new career, his team. 

The last thing he’d wanted was to come home to Hawaii and not turn right back around and leave. He’d been happy with his life the way it’d been. He’d buried his father and damn it, all he’d wanted to do was catch Hesse and put it all behind him. Then came Danny. Freakin Detective Danny Williams. The man had been, still was, a stubborn fucking mule. He couldn’t just let him walk out with the tool box. That’s all he’d wanted. Just the tool box. If he’d just let him have it, they wouldn’t be saddled with each other now. Way to go Danno.

Steve’s fingers flew across the strings, he made the guitar whine, and it relieved some of that tension that had been riding him so hard. He had to admit though, Five-O, Chin, Kono, and yes… even Danny, they were all starting to feel like home. It had been, by far, the quickest transition of his life. Maybe he’d always been meant to come home sooner or later. He’d just been expecting the later and not the sooner. But, he’d found that his new team worked well together. They were a well oiled Unit and though he was still in the reserves as far as the Navy was concerned, Five-O was his future.

The song changed over, Robert Johnson’s Cross Road Blues began to play and a small smile tugged at Steve’s mouth. It seemed fitting. It’s where his life was after all. The last one had taken him all over the world. This one, he supposed, was taking him exactly where he needed to be. Of course, that didn’t stop the ache in his chest for what he’d left behind. 

Steve’s mind was drawn to Nick. Nick had been a part of his past, a friend, all mixed up in the present. The smile faded and he imagined if he could see himself, he’d see pain and betrayal there. Maybe even a little shame. There was a part of him that kept saying he could have just put Nick down. He’d not had to kill him. Nick would have been in prison sure, but he’d be alive and his death wouldn’t be on Steve’s conscience. But then, there was another voice telling him to stop being a fucking idiot. Of course he had to kill him. If he’d not killed Nick, Nick would have killed him. And funny enough, the voice sounded suspiciously like Danny’s. 

Danny Williams.

Danno.

There he was again and it was increasingly odd to Steve that the man seemed to be a part of every life changing decision he’d made since stepping foot back on the island. Danny was his walking, talking, real life version of his conscience and Steve had tried very hard to just ignore him most days. Danny didn’t go away though. He was still there, up in his face, likely blaming him for every thing that went wrong on a day to day basis. 

Steve snickered.

Danny called him a one-man wrecking zone. Captain America in cargos.

That ache was back, sitting on his chest like an exclamation point at the end of the sentence. The song ended and instead of more music, Steve heard the needle lift itself and move back over to its cradle. He sighed, flattened his hand against the strings, and drew in a deep breath before opening his eyes.

“I didn’t know you played,” came Danny’s voice from the direction of the front door.

Steve tensed for a split second and then relaxed again. “I didn’t know you were that proficient at breaking into people’s houses and sneaking around,” he retorted and leaned forward to lay his guitar back in its case.

“One, I’m a cop. I can get in if I want to. Two, who’s sneaking? I knocked, you didn’t answer, and the door was unlocked,” Danny stated as he moved fully into the living room and sat down on the edge of the sofa.

“So you just let yourself in?” Steve asked, though there was no real anger in his voice. He was more curious as to why his partner was there in the first place. His cell was sitting on the small table next to his chair and he’d have heard it if a call had come through.

“I heard the music, drove all the way out here… figured you wouldn’t mind.” Danny was studying the guitar as he spoke and then looked up at Steve. Steve, of course, had an inquiring look on his face and Danny lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head. “I thought you could maybe use a hand with the repairs.”

Steve’s brow arched again. “I thought you had Grace this weekend.”

“Rachel changed her plans and I didn’t have any others so… here I am.” Danny shrugged and for the first time Steve noted that his partner wasn’t in his usual button down dress shirt, tie, and slacks. He was actually wearing a T-shirt, that was damp from the rain and sticking to him and an old pair of worn jeans that looked to be frayed on one knee.

“So?” Danny pressed and Steve blinked before looking up at him.

“So what?” he asked, a little confused and slightly embarrassed that he’d actually been checking him out. Or… his wardrobe at least.

Danny snorted and then sighed. “Do. You. Want. Some. Help?” he asked slowly, as if enunciating each word slowly would help Steve to understand them better.

“Yeah,” Steve replied and took a deep breath as he pushed himself up from the chair. “Thanks, Danno.”

“No problem,” was Danny’s reply and he stood as well. Danny’s eyes dropped back down to the guitar and then rose again. “You’re good. It’s a… different side to you. You almost look human when you play.”

“Yeah well, even Captain America needed some stress relief now and then,” Steve quipped and he shot Danny a smile.

“You should do it more often. Might work out that death wish you got,” Danny shot back and Steve chuckled.

“I got it, how about I play and you do all the hammering?” Steve offered and Danny shot him a look.

“How about you put Captain Smartass up on a shelf somewhere and you can play for me later?” Danny shot Steve a smile of his own.

Steve shook his head and led the way to the tools and drop cloths. “You should dress like that more often you know. Looks good on you.”

Danny gave him an incredulous look. “Will you lay off my damn wardrobe. I thought we’d been over this.”

Steve didn’t miss a beat. He just picked up a hammer and some nails then turned back to his partner. “All I’m saying is that you look better. You know… less stressed. More relaxed. I mean, I’m no expert, Danno… but you have to feel better now that that stick isn’t shoved up your ass. Walking’s gotta be easier.”

The glower on Danny’s face had Steve’s smile growing that much bigger. “Fuck you, Steve,” Danny growled.

“Sweet talk will get you everywhere, Danno.”

“So will that guitar,” Danny replied before he could stop himself.

Steve and Danny just stared at each other for a moment in silence, then turned away and let whatever had just happened there hang silent in the air between them. That wasn’t for now. That wasn’t even for the near future. That, were it up to them, was something that would be filed way the hell down in the subconscious and left for never again.

“I can order us some pizza and we can have a few beers later if you want,” Steve offered up a few minutes later.

“You order pineapple and I won’t be held responsible for what happens to you,” Danny replied and Steve smiled. That was more like it.


End file.
